


Different Directions

by Dinn4



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Break Up, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2020-09-07 21:01:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20315950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dinn4/pseuds/Dinn4
Summary: I listened to Lovely by Billie Eilish too many times and EJ is actively making me softer.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [octoberfeeling](https://archiveofourown.org/users/octoberfeeling/gifts).

“You're late. Again,” Ronan said from the couch. Adam almost jumped out of his skin. Opal was already in bed, the lights already off. He was late coming home by several hours and Ronan was not happy. “There are leftovers in the fridge.”

“Thanks.” Adam took off the loosened tie that was hanging around his neck and tossed it on the kitchen table. “I'm sorry I'm late, I had a party I had to make an appearance at.” Ronan grunted in response. Adam sighed. “Get on with it, then.”

“What the fuck, Parrish?” Ronan stood up to face Adam. “You've barely been home these last few weeks.”

“I know,” Adam said quietly. Ronan softened ever so slightly at the sight of Adam, jacket slung over his shoulder, top buttons of his shirt undone, hair a mess from running his hand through it after it had been artificially slicked back with product. But he was still too upset to just let Adam slide on this, again.

“Do you still want this?” Ronan matched Adam's tone.

“Of course I still want this.” Adam walked forward to take Ronan's hands in his, something that he knew would calm Ronan down.

But Ronan was already strangely calm. “Okay, but is it what you still need?”

This seemed to surprise Adam. “Yes,” he said adamantly.

“I don't think that it is.” Ronan said, his eyes welling up, but he refused to let them escape. “We're just going different directions, Adam.” The use of his first name meant he was very serious about what he was saying, and he could tell it worried Adam. “I just want to stay here and take care of the Barns and Opal. You're busy. You want to go places, be someone, make a name for yourself. There's just not room for us in your life any more.”

Adam's chin was trembling slightly now. “Are you breaking up with me?”

“No,” Ronan said. “You're breaking up with me.” Ronan tried to give his normal shark smile, but it rang false. “You're breaking my heart, Parrish.”

A single tear fell from Adam's eye and he didn't bother to brush it away. He nodded slightly. “I'll crash at one of my friend's houses. I'll be back for my stuff later this week.”

“Good, be safe.”

Adam nodded to himself again. He picked up his tie from the table and walked past Ronan. When he got to the front door, knob in hand, he paused and then ran back to Ronan. He threw himself into Ronan's arms and began to cry harder. Ronan stroked his hair and let him get it out of his system. When Adam finally pulled back, he wiped his eyes and took a calming breath. Ronan knew he would be fine.

“Maybe one day, we'll be on the same page,” Adam said, hopefully.

“I won't be going anywhere. I'll be waiting when you're ready,” Ronan promised.

A small smile came over Adam's face. He met Ronan's eyes for minute, as though he was trying to memorize every last detail of his face. Then he turned on his heel and left, not daring to look back.

When Adam was gone, Ronan finally allowed a couple of his tears to fall, but he quickly put a stop to it. This didn't have to be the end forever. One day Adam will have achieved his dreams and be ready to settle down. And Ronan would be there when he was. He couldn't ask Adam to stay any longer. 

But he could ask him to come back.


	2. Version Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Because EJ begged me to hurt her because she loves crying

“You're late. Again,” Ronan said from the couch. Adam almost jumped out of his skin. Opal was already in bed, the lights already off. He was late coming home by several hours and Ronan was not happy. “There are leftovers in the fridge.”

“Thanks.” Adam took off the loosened tie that was hanging around his neck and tossed it on the kitchen table. “I'm sorry I'm late, I had a party I had to make an appearance at.” Ronan grunted in response. Adam sighed. “Get on with it, then.”

“What the fuck, Parrish?” Ronan stood up to face Adam. “You've barely been home these last few weeks.”

“I know,” Adam said quietly. Ronan softened ever so slightly at the sight of Adam, jacket slung over his shoulder, top buttons of his shirt undone, hair a mess from running his hand through it after it had been artificially slicked back with product. But he was still too upset to just let Adam slide on this, again.

“This isn't fair to me.”

“I know,” Adam repeated. His head hung heavy in shame and exhaustion. He rubbed his eyes with both fists.

“Do you still want this?” Ronan matched Adam's tone.

“Of course I still want this.” Adam walked forward to take Ronan's hands in his, something that he knew would calm Ronan down.

But Ronan was already strangely calm. “Okay, but is it what you still need?”

This seemed to surprise Adam. “Yes,” he said adamantly.

“I don't think that it is.” Ronan said, his eyes welling up, but he refused to let them escape. “We'e just going different directions, Adam.” The use of his first name meant he was very serious about what he was saying, and he could tell it worried Adam. “I just want to stay here and take care of the Barns and Opal. You're busy. You want to go places, be someone, make a name for yourself. There's just not room for us in your life any more.”

“That's not true!” Adam cried. “I love you more than anything,” he whispered.

“That's not true,” Ronan responded. “We can't be number one in your life anymore. And I don't think I should have to settle for that.”

Adam's chin was trembling slightly now. “Are you breaking up with me?”

“No,” Ronan said. “You're breaking up with me.” Ronan tried to give his normal shark smile, but it rang false. “You're breaking my heart, Parrish.”

“I'm not though. You're the one doing this. I can try to do better, but you won't give me the chance!” Adam's hands were shaking and he was working them to keep from balling them up, Ronan knew. He was unsurprised by this outburst. Adam scrabbled and fought for every single thing he had in his life, and Ronan, Opal, this half life he had carved for himself at the Barns, they were no different. Ronan was tired of feeling like another thing that had been won.

“I've given you a fuck ton of chances, Adam! And at every turn you prove that we're just not important enough for you.” Ronan felt some of the tears leaking out.

“You- you're crying,” Adam said dumbly. Ronan hadn't cried in front of Adam since his mother had died.

“Yeah, I am, Parrish. That's what you do when things end.”

“Why are you being so cold?” Adam pounded his fists against Ronan's chest. Ronan stood, unmoving, with his arms crossed as Adam bowed his head, sobbing fully now.

“When you get out of here, you'll see I'm right. I just can't do this anymore,” Ronan tried to stop the tears that were flowing more easily now.

Adam shoved away from him, grabbing his tie and wrenching it back over his head. “Fine, I'm out of here.” Ronan closed his eyes, listening to the slam of the screen door, the crunching of gravel, and, finally, the revving of the shitbox starting up and driving away.

Ronan sat down at one of the dining room chairs and allowed himself to cry just a few minutes more. 

He heard a creaking of stairs. When he looked up, Opal was staring at him from the stairs. “What do you want?”

“Where is Adam?” she asked. “I heard him.”

“He left. He won't be coming around any more.” Ronan said, wiping away the tears and standing up. 

“Why not?” she demanded.

“He just won't be. Go back to bed.” Opal huffed but hoofed it back up the stairs. A few moments later, he followed her, going to his own room and throwing himself on the bed. He rolled to Adam's side of the bed and breathed deeply, taking in what was left of Adam's scent while it was still there. He cried himself to sleep like that, holding Adam's pillow.

The next morning when he woke up, pictures of Adam littered the bed and the floor around it.


End file.
